(A) Management guidelines.
(1) Social media includes all means of communicating or posting information or content of any sort on the internet, including to your own or someone else’s web log or blog journal or diary, personal web site, social networking or affinity website, web bulletin board or a chat room, whether or not associated or affiliated with County Fiscal Court, as well as any other form of electronic communication.
(2) The principles contained in this chapter and policies apply to employees’ activities online:
(a) Employees are responsible for what they post online;
(b) Before creating online content, consider the risks and rewards involved; and
(c) Employee conduct adversely affecting job performance, the performance of other County Fiscal Court employees or otherwise adversely affecting the public or others who work on behalf of or for County Fiscal Court’s legitimate business interests may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
(3) Conduct adversely affecting job performance includes harassment, as defined in this chapter and includes, but is not limited to:
(a) Epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping or threatening, intimidating or hostile acts relating to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability; and/or
(b) Written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group because of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability.
(4) Employees posting discriminatory remarks, harassment and threats of violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
(5) Employees shall treat other employees, the public, suppliers and others fairly and courteously at all times including online postings.
(6) Posting complaints or criticisms of other County Fiscal Court employees, using statements, photographs, videos or audios reasonably viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating, disparaging of other employees, the general public using County Fiscal Court facilities or suppliers may constitute harassment and subject the employee to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
(7) Employees shall post only honest and accurate information or news concerning County Fiscal Court, its employees, policies and business activities.
(8) Employees shall correct any mistaken information concerning County Fiscal Court employees, policies and business activities in an online posting immediately upon discovery.
(9) Employees shall acknowledge their alteration of any previous posts.
(10) Employees shall not post false information or rumors about County Fiscal Court employees, members of the public using County Fiscal Court facilities, County Fiscal Court policies or business activities.
(11) Employees shall post only appropriate and respectful content.
(12) Employees shall maintain the confidentiality of private or confidential information of other employees.
(13) Employees shall not post internal reports, policies, procedures or other internal business-related confidential communication until and unless permitted by an authorized County Fiscal Court employee.
(14) Employees shall not create a link from an employee’s blog, website or other social networking site to a County Fiscal Court website.
(15) Employees may never represent themselves as a spokesperson for County Fiscal Court.
(16) If County Fiscal Court is a subject of the content employee creates, employee must clearly and openly state that they are an employee and clearly state that the views stated do not represent those of the County Fiscal Court, other employees, suppliers or people working on behalf of the County Fiscal Court. If an employee publishes a blog or posts online content related to the work or subjects associated with the County Fiscal Court, the employee must state clearly that they are not speaking on behalf of the County Fiscal Court. Employee shall include disclaimer such as “The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of McLean County Fiscal Court.”
(B) Using social media at work.
(1) Employees shall refrain from using social media while on work time or on equipment provided by the County Fiscal Court, unless work-related and authorized by the employee’s supervisor, manager or consistent with the policies contained in this chapter.
(2) Employees shall not use the County Fiscal Court email addresses to register on social networks, blogs or other online tools utilized for personal use.
(C) Retaliation is prohibited.
(1) The County Fiscal Court employees shall not take negative action against any other County Fiscal Court employee for reporting a possible deviation from this policy or for cooperating in an investigation.
(2) Any employee who retaliates against another employee for reporting a possible deviation from this policy or for cooperating in an investigation will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
(D) Media contacts.
(1) Employees should not speak to the media on the County Fiscal Court’s behalf without contacting the County Judge Executive or designated representative.
(2) If you have questions or need further guidance, please contact the Human Resources Department.
(Ord. 21.230-1, passed 7-8-2021)